Daily News: ‘Give Kids a Smile Day’ set for NDSCS

The North Dakota State College of Science’s Allied Dental Education Clinic will be the local host of the American Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile Day, Friday, Feb. 12.

From 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 12, free dental care for children and youth age 3-18 will be provided at the campus’ Mayme Green Allied Health Center, just off Fourth Street in Wahpeton.

“I’m most looking forward to working with other community members, the dental students and the rest of the dental staff,” said Chanel Malone, the Give Kids a Smile program coordinator for NDSCS. “We have lots of volunteers.”

Dental students will perform cleanings, radiographs, sealants, fluoride applications and oral health education and will be able to perform basic restorative procedures, simple extractions and patient exams.

“Approximately $13,000 worth of donated services was provided to local children in 2015 with the help of volunteers, local and regional dentists, hygienists, assistants and the NDSCS Allied Dental Education Department staff and students,” states a press release for Give Kids a Smile.

Joining the Allied Dental department are Dr. Brent Holman and Dr. Carl Trout, pediatric dentists from Fargo. Malone said both doctors have “provided many children with dental care in past dental mission work.”

“We are fortunate to receive support and/or contributions from the North Dakota Dental Foundation, the American Dental Association and both local and regional dental community volunteers,” she added.

Malone wants the public to remember that volunteers and staff involved in Give Kids a Smile are giving up their time freely to provide dental care for those whose families might not otherwise be able to afford it.

Appointments are required for Give Kids a Smile Day, and a parent or legal guardian must accompany patients under age 18.

Give Kids a Smile, launched nationally in 2003 by the American Dental Association, has provided free oral health services to millions of children, the Association’s website said. It is traditionally celebrated on the first Friday in February.

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